Practice makes perfect

[Bill]

When asked by Mike at the Champs how much practice a couple had had they replied 3/4 times a week since about Christmas.

Got me thinking of just how important practice can be if dancers really want to make an impression but yet I know more and more dancers who, for various reasons, can't really practice but turn up either in hope or just for fun. Most seem to agree to compete and then spend a few weeks before the comp trying out some moves.

I know this has been touched on before but I know Steve had no practice time at all, Sheena and Chris met on the day, Denise and Dan had an hour or so the day before and Mary and I had about 2 hours 3 weeks before the comp.

I know Dale and Deb have been practicing hard and it showed - they looked superb and I think Jayne and Chris have had some time together and again it showed because they danced really well.

Is it possible, or realistic, for a couple just to turn up on the day and do well ??? Should there be a new category for the 'unprepared and unrehearsed'

[TheTramp]

Originally posted by Bill
Is it possible, or realistic, for a couple just to turn up on the day and do well ??? Should there be a new category for the 'unprepared and unrehearsed'

Depends. If you have a fantastic partner, then yes, you can turn up on the day, get VERY lucky, and walk away with a trophy (thank you Hayley)

On the other hand, there is only one way to guarentee a chance of sucess, and that is practise, practise and more practise. You could see that all of the couples in the Open final had done a LOT of work (course, it helps that in the Open final, there was one married couple, 3 gf/bf relationships, and I believe that the other couple live in the same house, and teach and do showcases (fantastic, fantastic showcases) together).

There was a snooker player (can't remember which one), who came off having just scraped through in a game. And the commentator said to him about how "lucky" he'd been. The snooker player replied, "you know, the more I practise, the luckier I seem to get"!!

'unprepared and unrehearsed'

Don't they call this the lucky dip??

Trampy

[Simon]

Originally posted by TheTramp

There was a snooker player (can't remember which one), who came off having just scraped through in a game. And the commentator said to him about how "lucky" he'd been. The snooker player replied, "you know, the more I practise, the luckier I seem to get"!!

That was actually the golfer, Gary Player.

Great quote.

[TheTramp]

Originally posted by Simon
That was actually the golfer, Gary Player.

Great quote.

Maybe the snooker player stole it then.

Or maybe I'm just getting my balls mixed up

Trampy

[Heather]

Originally posted by Bill


Is it possible, or realistic, for a couple just to turn up on the day and do well ???

I danced with Dale last year at the Ceroc Champs - I met him for the first time in my life the night before at Chiswick, we had a few 'practice ' dances together and made it to the semi-finals the next day.( Dale's very first competition!!)
We did the same thing again at Musselburgh- a few practice dances the night before the comp and again we were placed 4th.
Just wait till he moves up here to Dundee(Centre of the Dancing Universe) then see what happens!!!!


Heather
XX

PS. Dale , did you hear me cheering you and Debs on from Dundee ? I was sending the psychic vibes!!!!

[Bill]

Originally posted by Heather

PS. Dale , did you hear me cheering you and Debs on from Dundee ? I was sending the psychic vibes!!!!

and it obviously worked then .............

[stewart38]

Originally posted by Bill

Is it possible, or realistic, for a couple just to turn up on the day and do well ??? Should there be a new category for the 'unprepared and unrehearsed'

I was lucky in the lucky dip as I got paired off with Emma who was a runner up in one catergory.

We were in the last 30 out of 120 which for me wasnt bad,out first round last year

Im convinced if we had practice for just an hour before we would have gone at least at stage further

All I would have needed to do is dicuss moves that make her look good !It also shows me if im to move on in dancing i need to dance with better dancers then me and even go to a workshop !

That gymnastic display that got second made me wonder as well re what is dancing and what is gymnastics, a fine line ?

[Gadget]

Originally posted by stewart38
That gymnastic display that got second made me wonder as well re what is dancing and what is gymnastics, a fine line ?

Expand please - curious to know what sort of thing you can lead or follow that is "gymnastic" in look/feel.

[Tiggerbabe]

I think Stewart is referring to David and Lily's 2nd place in the Open - and although they did do a few little aerials they were most definitely dancing IMHO